Factitious Disorder, continued

Have you often wondered why you're experiencing symptoms that a doctor cannot confirm? Do you notice that a loved one is constantly sick or spending time at a clinic or hospital trying to get a diagnosis? If so, you or your loved one may be experiencing factitious disorder and needs help from a psychologist in Asheville, NC.

Over the course of the past two blog posts we have been talking about factitious disorder. There are two different types and several different warning signs and symptoms. To learn more about those, be sure to visit back with the previous blog posts in this series.

Today, we are going to talk about how this disorder is diagnosed, how common it is, and what causes it. Many people are unfamiliar with this type of mental health illness. There are several things to understand, even for those who have heard of it before.

Unfortunately, although researchers have an idea of what causes factitious disorder, there is no known cause at this time. However, researchers do believe that physiological and biological factors could cause the disorder to develop over time. It's possible that a history of constant illness in the individual or a loved one, being neglected or abused as a child, frequent hospitalization and other factors could be a cause, as well.

Historically, those who have factitious disorder also have a history of trauma, family dysfunction, early chronic medical illness, abuse, nursing training, health aide work or other type of experience in professional healthcare.

Though there is no actual statistic to show how common this disorder is in the United States, at least 1% of those who are admitted into hospitals with symptoms could have factitious disorder. However, researchers believe that this is under reported. Because patients do not realize what type of disorder they're dealing with, they may not seek treatment for the disorder. Therefore, it is impossible to fully rely on statistics. They could be misleading based on these facts.

According to medicinenet.com, "Diagnosing factitious disorders is very difficult because of the dishonesty that is involved. Doctors must rule out other possible physical and mental illnesses before a diagnosis of factitious disorder can be considered. If the doctor finds no physical reason for the symptoms, he or she may refer the person to a psychiatrist or psychologist, mental health professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses."

Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a factitious disorder. The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on the exclusion of actual physical or mental illness, and his or her observation of the person's attitude and behavior.

Holistic Psychologist in Asheville, NC For Mental Health Treatment

If you, or someone you love, seem to be suffering from depression, or any other type of mental illness, contact Legacy Freedom of Asheville. We can help. Our trained professionals are able to treat your causes and conditions with holistic treatment and alternative and holistic therapy in Asheville NC. We tailor these programs to fit your needs, not the needs of the group. Contact us now to make an appointment.

We hope you choose holistic mental health care. If you have more questions or need to speak with our psychologist in Asheville, NC regarding the rehabilitation programs we have available for you, please feel free to contact us at anytime.